Progress in female employment has stalled

Little progress in female employment 

The OECD average employment index score improved by just 0.5 percentage points between 2023 and 2024 – half the annual average since 2011 and the smallest increase since the Covid pandemic. The main reason for the slowdown is the deterioration in women’s employment prospects: the female unemployment rate increased to 5.5% (+0.2 percentage points), while full-time employment fell from 78.1% to 76.8%, the first decline in the history of the Index. 

However, despite the unfavorable employment trends, several positive changes have also occurred. The gender pay gap in the OECD narrowed from 13% to 12.4% (-0.6 percentage points), while the gap in labour force participation rates narrowed from 8.8% to 8.5%, supported by a 0.4 percentage point increase in female participation. 

p-props=”{“201341983″:0,”335551550″:6,”335551620″:6,”335559740″:300}”>-0.3 percentage points8.5% The participation gap is consistently narrowing. Gender wage gap The difference between the median hourly wages of men and women. -0.3 percentage points-0.6 percentage points12.4%The wage gap is closing at an accelerating pace. Female unemployment rate The proportion of women seeking work within the active female population. -0.3 percentage points 0.2 percentage points 5.5% Regression: female unemployment has increased. Female full-time employment rate Proportion of employed women who work full-time.0.3 percentage points-1.3 percentage points 76.8% Regression: the proportion of women working full-time has decreased. 

 This year’s survey specifically examines the situation of NEET (not in employment, education or training) young people in the UK. Their numbers remain high, with 947,000 16-24 year olds affected in the first half of 2025, with young women making up 46% of the group. The female NEET rate has risen from 10% before Covid to 12.6%, with more than half of this being due to health-related inactivity. The cumulative disadvantage is particularly severe for girls: those with health problems and poor GCSE results are four times more likely to become NEET than the average young woman. The analysis also estimated GDP impacts: reducing the NEET rate to German levels could add £5 billion to the UK economy, while reducing it to Dutch levels could add £11 billion.pan> 

Iceland continues to lead: family policy and flexible work culture are the keys to good practices 

Iceland once again topped the Index, with a female labor force participation rate of 85.1%, far above the OECD average. This stable position is based on the world’s highest maternity leave, extensive childcare services and the widespread adoption of a four-day workweek. The top 5 ranking has remained unchanged since the Covid pandemic: Iceland, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Slovenia and Sweden, where a low pay gap and a family-friendly employment environment are common characteristics. 

Great Britain has improved slightly, but young female unemployment is worrying. The United Kingdom improved one place to 17th, but its results were mainly boosted by Canada’s decline. Female unemployment increased significantly, especially among young people. The SouthWest region performed exceptionally well in the UK regional rankings, with London at the bottom, where the high pay gap and poorer transport conditions particularly disadvantage women with young children. 

Hungary has improved a lot, but the wage gap is not narrowing 

Hungary has made significant improvements in the current ranking:

• 19.moved up from 1st place to 15th place, 

• his index score increased from 70 to 71.9

• the female labor market participation rate increased from 73.5% to 74.7%, 

• the participation gap decreased from 8.9% to 7.8%,